Y Merina Chishi
“The aim of education should be to teach us how to think, than what to think- rather improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with the thoughts of the other men”- Bill Beattie
Education means “to draw out” It encompasses teaching and learning specific skills in various disciplines. Education makes us rational thinkers, helps us take right decisions, and dispels ignorance. Obtaining knowledge at school is a form of formal education. However, learning subjects is not enough. One can be book smart but in addition one also has to live life by having a presence of mind. In other words, one needs to be street smart as well. One could have good grades and a degree and still not learn much. So, are the students in Nagaland getting the right kind of education? Are teachers imparting the right kind of knowledge?
I have learnt that ‘spoon feeding’ is one of the biggest drawbacks in the system of education here. Students are made to swallow text books and spill out during examinations. I wonder if the student really understands what the teacher is teaching. The teacher speaks and the student listens, without understanding the meaning. Now we casually cannot label the student as dull. The right to information is very important in education and unless the teacher lets the student exercise that right, the student will never ask for it. Many of us have studied about the Ashoka in Ancient Indian History and many know him only as a historic figure, as one of India’s greatest King. But the underlying message in the Kalinga war (last war fought by Ashoka) is generally missed out; a message to shun violence. The point here is that education should also be able to shape character and a frame of mind along with textual knowledge. Teachers ought to teach students to read between the lines. True education is training both the head and the heart. Teaching should be made fun just as much learning. One should be able to recollect, if not all, some parts of every subject that were in school. That would indicate that the student was able to grasp and actually absorb what was being taught back then and this readers, is true knowledge.
It is a sad thing that memory power determines the intelligence of a student here. Of course, there are some who do have retention power but most force themselves to memorize notes, and this is a trend not only in schools but at college levels as well. The student is made to think only of the marks to acquire rather than understanding the content. Recently in Mumbai, students who scored 35% & 49% in 10 and 12 board exam were honoured , an initiative by the Citizens Organization for Public Opinion who believe that marks are not every thing. Students need to compete for wisdom and knowledge, not for grades. But in all this comes the responsibility of the teacher. I have seen people studying notes that have been passed down for year’s altogether. Teachers walk into class rooms with the notes that they had compiled several years back! Unless teachers keep refreshing their notes and style of teaching, the monotony will never produce different scholars. As the quotation above says, ‘enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with the thoughts of other men’.
The central job of schools is to maximize the capacity of each student, to develop skills and to impart moral and ethical literacy. Without these traits, students will remain just mechanized beings. Take an example, punctuality. A teacher should teach the student to respect punctuality rather than detest it. But that can only happen if the teacher preaches the student about civic sense rather than punish the student for being late. Within the four walls of a class room a student can either grow or get exhausted from all the pressure.
A teacher’s role in shaping a student’s life is not only a duty but a responsibility; the latter is what will determine a student’s character. Therefore it is a duty and responsibility beyond the class room. Bedrock of a society is the education system and it depends on the quality of teaching it provides. Teachers should expand to meet the changing needs of the students to produce brainpowers with character.
